Igniting change

Reaching further

Every child born with a neural tube defect deserves the chance to live a happy and independent life

Igniting change
Reaching further

Every child born with a neural tube defect deserves the chance to live a happy and independent life

Since 2009, ReachAnother has provided
life-saving surgery for more than 6,500 babies with hydrocephalus & spina bifida

Building on this achievement, ReachAnother has made an even greater impact across the country by providing capacity-building knowledge and technologies that have changed hearts and minds, and instilled compassion and competence into the conversation of how to address neural tube defects among all sectors of Ethiopia.


Prevention


Treatment


Aftercare

Neurosurgeons Trained

They are our boots on the ground. Their skills and dedication save lives every day.

Surgeries Performed

We are in it for the babies. Treatment of neural tube defects is our priority.

Centers of Excellence

Our CoEs aim to provide the best multi-disciplinary care in pediatric neurosurgery.

Volunteer Hours Annually

Volunteers perform 90% of the work of ReachAnother Foundation.

“We’re here to reach another child. To change another life. To go further, do more, exceed not just our grasp but every expectation of what we thought was possible.”
Dr. Marinus Koning

Founder & President

10 Years of ReachAnother

Project Lazarus Resurrects Thousands of Medical Instruments for Ethiopia

Hospitals in the Netherlands are to give thousands of medical instruments a fresh lease of life in Ethiopia and fill an urgent need for children and adult patients suffering from crippling diseases and wounds, after the Dutch-American ReachAnother Foundation spotted an opportunity to find an alternative use for a vast array of perfectly viable equipment that would otherwise have become redundant under new EU regulatory standards.

ReachAnother has named the initiative ‘Project Lazarus’ after the miracle recounted in the Gospel of John in the New Testament, where Jesus raised Lazarus of Bethany from the dead four days after his entombment.

Marinus Koning, ReachAnother founder, said: “Good tools are half the work and we were told stories by newly graduated neurosurgeons at medical centres in Ethiopia that they could not perform surgery at all because of a lack of instruments. They were moved to tears when we gave them a set of just 20 …”

 

Read the full press release here

 

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ReachAnother Foundation
What are spina bifida and hydrocephalus?

Spina bifida and hydrocephalus are neural tube defects (NTDs), which are birth defects that affect a baby’s spine, spinal cord, or brain.

Normally, a fetus’ neural tube develops into their brain, spinal cord, and spinal column, but if a mother does not have sufficient folic acid in her diet during pregnancy the neural tube does not fully form or close completely.

Spina bifida, “open back,” occurs when the spine has failed to close properly during the first month of pregnancy. Surgery is needed to close the defect immediately after birth to prevent infection and preserve the existing function in the spinal nerves. Approximately 90% of babies born with spina bifida are also impacted by hydrocephalus, “water on the brain.”

Babies born with hydrocephalus suffer a fluid build up in their brain, which causes an enlarged head and, if untreated, will cause brain damage and death. Treatment of hydrocephalus consists of implanting a shunt to drain the excess fluid. When treated in a timely fashion, the overwhelming majority of these babies can go on to lead healthy lives.

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“It was incredible to be able to volunteer in the hospital as a medical student and watch as the life of a child with hydrocephalus was forever changed. But it also gave me the chance to realize that giving a life to one child also means helping that child's mother, father, family and loved ones. It provides the community with hope to know that someone cares and is willing to help.”

Lacey Menkin MD

Orlando, Florida Medical Student

We are committed to

Expanding pediatric neurosurgery capacity to save more lives

Expanding pediatric neurosurgery capacity to save more lives

Expanding pediatric neurosurgery capacity to save more lives

John Moseley, PHD

Board Member

Back to Team

John received his BS, MS and PhD degrees in Physics from Georgia Institute of Technology, and has received multiple awards for his research there, at SRI, and at UO. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the AAAs, is listed in Who's Who in Frontier Science and Technology, in America, and in the World. He has participated at the National and International level in numerous scientific and educational committees and activities. At the local level, he has participated in a number of research, economic development, and arts related initiatives.

Dr. Moseley retired in 2006. He and his wife, Susan, live in Eugene, OR.
John has participated in visits to Ethiopia as a volunteer member of the ReachAnother Foundation team 2015 and 2017.

"My wife Susan and I first became interested in the work in Ethiopia through our friendship with Dick and Patricia. After attending a fund-raising dinner in Bend in 2012, my wife we hosted one in Eugene, and became increasingly involved, so when I was asked to join the Board in 2014 I was more than happy to do so. Participating with the team in Ethiopia in 2015 helped me to realize the effectiveness and potential of this effort, and I have appreciated the opportunity to help ever since."

We’re in it for the babies. For the families.
For Ethiopia. For the world.
We are dedicated to this work, our human family and to one another.
We are united to transform.
We are a catalyst for change.